Aerial machine.



G. A. OWEN & G. A. BATES.

AERIAL MACHINE. APPLIATION FILED ooT.17,1s1o.

YPamtented July 4, 1911.

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INI/EN T ORS, 0607?? )ZM 0am, 2v ewef'z; v BY I `TORNE Y.

G. A. OWEN L G. A. BATES. AERIAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.17,1910.

997,601 Patented July 4, 1911.l

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NVENTOR;

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` ATTORNEY. v

AERIAL MACHINE. APFLIOATION PILBD ooT.1v,1o1q.

Patented Julg, 4, 1911.

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G. A. OWEN & G. A. BATES.

AERIAL MACHINE. u

997,001 Patented Ju1y 4', 1911.

4 SHEETS-s113111 4.

l GEORGE A; owEiv AND GEoReE A. BATES, E HARTFORD; CONNECTICUT.

lTo all concern."

Be it known. that we, GEORGEA. OWEN and GEORGE ABATES, citizens of the United Statesof America, and residents of Hartact description. l0

for d,'in the county of Hartfordand State Connecticut, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Aerial Machines, of

y which the following is afull, clear, and eX-.

' This invention relates to improvements in mechanisms for controlling and poising aerial machines, and hasfor its object the provision of means for 4retaining the lmaf, chine in the atmosphere in a relatively ad-l forth n the claims. I

just-able posit-ion of 4safety.

The machineis described in conjunction with'the accompanying drawings and set Inthe drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the assembled machine showing the same in its horizontal flying postion;'Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the chassis of the machine; Fig. Sisa front elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same;

the keel positioning mechanism; Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the safety sail or'parachute mechanism,l Fig.',7 is a detail front elevationfthe same; 8 is an enlarged sectional view of th'e releasing mecha-v nism and adjacent parts takenonline 8`-'8, Fi 7 Fig. 9 is a side elevation'and par tia plan of the motor disconnecting means.

., have installed two sa A suitably constructed operating -means therefor. v- Forinsuring absolute safety shouldjthe machine become disabled whilein the air, a.

footA release mechanism is provided for the instantaneous removal of the motor from the machine, as clearly represented in Fig.

9. By .the provision of this release mecha* nisrn the load on the `aeroplane is greatly lessened, permitting a slow and gradual de scent in case themotor becomes inoperative or' in'any way fails to perform its required work, at which time it 1s disconnected from 1g. 5 is a view showing a mo'dic'a'tion ofv the aeroplaneand portl thereon..

I e Vand controlled by the operator, thev operating lever f. The second lever vhaving .attached thereto a sliding clutch member L' may be thrown` into engagement with Athe loose vrunning clutch member-h on the shaft @which has mounted thereon a sprocket la? 'and .asprocket chain k con- I nected toa larger sprocket it* which revolves the shaft connected to winding sheaves j', ja and ja, all of which are rigidly mounted 1 on a sheave shaft?" which is'bevel gear coni nected to the shaft a' through the medium of :the two bevel gears c.

Specicationbf-Letters Patent.. Patented-July 4, 19.711, Appuatiuumedoctqbr 173,1910.' seriaiNo. 587,381.

Referringto 2, f3 and be seen thatthe' chassisframe' a@ as, running in 1 conJunction .with-the four. w eels b, a motor' c connected tothe propeller d bythe rclutch low position, permits the center of gravity of the machine'to be changed through the medium of thelifting cable o and the two .side supporting cables p, at the will 'of-the operator. The keel supporting members and keel ret-ain a verticalposition relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine, as

shown in the dotted positions of the frame "g and g during the ascension or'descent of the aeroplane.

precipitatedfrom its sup, i

at will, by

At a relatively convenient point onthe shaft f l is rigidly mounted a ratchet wheel 3 which is caused to revolve bythe shaft z', elevating --the weight 'n.- inl such afdirection as toengage the locking teeth 4 ofthe lever 5' which yls'in turn mounted Ion the frameuI ata 'point at right angles to the shaft trunnioned thereto -on the pin 6 so that if the operator desires to' lower the weight n `he may manually disengage the locking teethll from the teeth-of the-ratchet 3 and when the desired position of the weighted keel n isreached the same may be again thrown into locked engagement.

: At a convenient point upon the lower central portion ofthe chassis is a trunnion bearing member l which ismounted in its bearings Z', and carries the two upright keel 1 sustaining members m," and -1 to these' two keel sustaining members is secured aweight-i ing partl n which by' its relativelylhigh or f los In 5 is. represented al the spring which elevates and lowersthe keel, the same as heretofore described eX- cept that the keel supporting members are extended above the level of t-he frame a and are controlled by a secondary set of cables or-guide wires p, making a much more rigid construction when Voccasion therefor requires. f l Referring to-Flg 9, 1t will be seen that the engine casing is positioned on studs s by the lforked feet s so arranged that the engine may be removed in the `direction of the arrow t.

Mounted on the opposite sides of the engine c are the studs u which are engaged by the fork shaped bell crank lever u, held in tension by the spring u2 between thestuds u, and retained in position by .the locking dog ut; and said locking dog through the medium of the link us and foot'pedal u is maintained' by the spring u and may be withdrawn beyond the locking pointv u?,

causing the spring u2 to retract, therebg7 producing a forward motion of the llever u,

which results in a hurling ofthe motor from its mountings, at which time the fly wheel -clutch e will be automatically withdrawn from the shoe.

InFigs. 6, 7 and 8, a further safety device ating 'automatic curtain which, in case of accident'.-to the motor or parts o f the machine, has the kadvantagesof a parachute, and when set in operation causes a very slow and safedescent.

'.To the forward y and rear ends of the 4 biplane portion of the machine, lrunning ein G, which is by the medium ofthe.

'crosswise in the machine, is a spring curspring 2 retained in a rolled-up position.

f Mounted on the lower edge of the vcurtain e G is a bar 3 which has thereon a rigid stud 4 provided with an opening 5 which re ceives-the spring 6; and said stud 4 has an extended portion 7 .thereon which is in f locked engagement with the lever 8 held .by

the spring 9 which retains the spring 6 ina tensioned position. Y i

By a backward movement of the locking lever 8 on the connector 10 the said lever is removed from the end of the-stud 7 at which time the spring. 6 thrusts the curtain G to they position as shown by; dotted lines in Fig. 7. i

If the double` breadth ofthe curtain is such as to cause an extreme retarded descent, the operator may retract` the curtain by hauling thecable' 11 which passes over the sheave12 to the stud 4; or.if the operator cares-to dispense with the-use of the our tain entirely during the ascent or descent, he may brlngvthe curtain to its normal position as shown in Fig. 8, and at .the same time retain-his position in the aeroplane;

We claimz- A Y v1. In an-aerial machlne, a frame having a driven vpropeller shaft supported thereon i is' illustrated in the formof a quickly operand provided with a sprocket wheel, a counv tershaft having. a sprocket wheel, a chain running around said sprocket wheel and -means for clutch connecting the first named sprocket wheel with the propeller shaft, a rocking member on-the frame having a vertical guide, a rod like member, ycarrying a depending weight vertically slidable in said guide, a' cord connected to the weight deadjacent thereto a roller and a curtain like sail normally wound up thereon and having at its free'edge a rigid stifening bar, provided with a stud and with a catch-portion, a spring under tension engaging said stud and reacting in a downward direction thereagainst, a catch-lever for engagement with the catch-portion of said stud having a spring for maintaining it in itsengagement therewith, a member for o erating the catch lever,- and a sheave-gui ed cord connected with said stud and operative by draft Vcurtain against the reaction of said spring for its rewinding on the said roll.

A 4. In an aerial machine, a frame and an engine, removably mounted thereon, detachably connected to the driving shaft -of the machine, and provided with a stud projecting from its side, an angular lever pivotally mounted and having an arm thereof in a restraining engagement with said stud, a

said angular lever, and means for disengaging the catch-member from such engagement,and a spring serving as a motor whlch is operative on .the release of the restraining means for thel engine to force the latter the frame.A

Signed by u s ence of two subscribing witnesses;

' GEORGE A..OWEN.`

GEORGE A. BATES.

WM. S.`BELLows,

' G. R'. DRIscoLL.

vice, a Winding drum around which the cordV catch-member for engaging the other arm of" `3. An aeroplane having thereunder and'I thereon to elevate the downwardly extended 100 Hartford, Conn., in pres- 11! bodily'off from its. position of supporton 

